1. Fields of the Invention
The present invention relates to a device that combines a toiletry with a storage or dispensing apparatus, and more particularly, relates to a device that combines a toothbrush with a pill storing or pill dispensing apparatus.
2. Discussion Of Background And Prior Art
A number of toiletties are used by people on a regular basis and are small enough in size so that they can be easily carded or packed for travel. There are advantages provided by combining a toiletry with a storage apparatus that can store various things. One advantage would be that the amount of space that the toiletry and the stored things occupy would be reduced and thus making it easier to pack them for travel. Another advantage would be that the toiletry that is used on a regular basis could function as a reminder system for the stored article. Furthermore, by storing items in a toiletry, these items may be more conveniently placed or accessible for the user.
One example of such a combination device is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,140,140 to Proia et al. which discloses a combination toothbrush and pill dispenser. The combination device comprises a hollow handle having punch-through sheets of pills attached to its sides. The hollow handle has a plurality of openings on its sides to allow the user to depress pills and force them through the sheet and opening and into the hollow portion of the handle. The pills are then able to be dispensed out of the hollow portion of the handle. Since toothbrushes are typically used on a regular basis, the combination device is effective in reminding the user to also take the pill.
One of the disadvantages of the combination device, however, is that the pills can get trapped inside the hollow portion of the handle when they are being dispensed. Another disadvantage is that the combination device is set up such that the user could still accidentally dispense and take a pill out of the proper sequential order which could result in the taking of the wrong pill dosage. A further disadvantage is that when the user is gripping the handle of the toothbrush, the pills could accidentally be pushed through the sheets, resulting in the pills being unable to be reinserted and the proper order of the pills being unable to be recovered.
There are many types of pill dispensers in the prior art. U.S. Pat. No. 4,465,191 to Darbo and U.S. Pat. No. 3,251,459 to Lacour each disclose a pill dispenser that has a slideable tray that is used for dispensing pills. Advantages of using a slideable tray as a pill dispenser is that the pills can be easily accessed and refilled by the user, and that the tray can be set up so that the sequential order of the pills can be more easily maintained. Neither of these patents, however, disclose the use of a pill dispenser having a slideable tray in conjunction with a toothbrush or any other toiletry.
Another example of a combination toiletry and storage device is found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,782,397 to McCord ("WcCord") which discloses a combination toothbrush and dental floss dispenser in which a roll of dental floss is mounted inside the handle of the toothbrush. McCord, however, does not disclose the use of a slideable tray to dispense the floss or anything else.
There are some drugs that must be taken consistently at regular intervals in order to maintain its effectiveness. For example, contraceptive pills are typically prescribed to be taken on a one pill per day basis. Several types of contraceptive pill dispensers exist in the art. One type is a pitch-through sheet of pills in which the pills are sandwiched between a layer of foil and a layer of plastic, and the sheet has daily indices in order to label the pills. The user pushes and dispenses the pill through the foil that corresponds to the day indicated. Another type is a rotating dispenser having an individual chamber for each pill and wherein each individual chamber is labeled with a daily indicia. The user rotates a lid having a pill dispensing slot over the pill that corresponds to that day and dispenses the pill. Therefore, it is crucial that the user remembers and takes the proper pill each day, and a device that would aid in reminding the person to take the pill would further be desired. A toiletry used on a regular basis that is also capable of storing and dispensing pills could provide this reminder function.
Therefore, a toiletry that also has a storage function, and, in particular, a toothbrush that has a slideable storage/dispenser tray is desired, and it is an object of the present invention to overcome the problems and limitations of the prior art that has been discussed.